About Frakkin' Time
by clevergirl36
Summary: My first fanfiction : "He hardly strikes me as the indulgent type…maybe it's just time to realize what's important to him. And whom." AR oneshot. Feedback and critique are greatly appreciated, how else are we writers meant to grow :D


The languid air of dim lights, soft leather, and the musty smell of old books was intoxicating enough without the small tumblers of ambrosia resting on the table. The Admiral's gravelly yet steady voice and the rustling of pages accompanied the calm atmosphere, interrupted only by occasional chuckles radiating from the woman opposite of him.

"_He took in the scene around him, noticing all he had overlooked or cast aside before. The jaded filter he saw the world through was ripped from him all too suddenly as reality overwhelmed him, blinded him with colors he never thought possible."_

She smiled and sank wordlessly into the couch she so often visited when it was safe to unmask the President of the Twelve Colonies, revealing underneath a worn Laura Roslin in need of good company and strong drinks. Glancing over at Bill, she couldn't help but smirk at how, when her very own jaded filter was lifted, he no longer resembled the gruff bundle of tension and power she saw dominating the CIC day to day. The edges of his unfastened uniform jacket lay splayed carelessly across his chest, the shiny brass buttons sagging in the same weariness felt by his whole body. His normally intense gaze softened above the yellowed pages of the story as a hint of a smile shone through his ocean-blue eyes. This is Bill Adama, she thought.

"_How much life he had missed out on strutting around with his serious demeanor; so many life accomplishments and so little living."_

His amusement with this chapter began to fade as he felt the words practically leap onto the mahogany table and lecture him right there. He paused between breaths, allowing him to collect his thoughts and relish the comfort of his leather chair. An auburn flash and the glint of lenses caught his eye as Laura quickly turned to face him. His eyes met the grinning curve of her mouth before travelling up the planes of her cheeks, finally resting on her emerald gaze hidden behind dark frames. He knew she'd caught on to the same thing that crossed his mind seconds before. If there ever were an intellectual match to his tactical prowess, it was this stubborn, quick-witted woman before him.

"So now what? You think this guy will go on a hedonistic spree? Live a little?" She asked with a coy look in her eyes.

He noticed how the copper waves of her hair shone in the soft light, giving way to lighter streaks she acquired underneath the New Caprican sun. The stark contrast of her solemn suits and fiery hair always caught him off guard upon seeing her- his entire life had been dedicated to barking orders, making it strangely exhilarating to encounter someone whose entire demeanor screamed "Frak your orders."

His rough baritone cut carefully through their thoughtful silence like a ripple forming in tranquil waters. "He hardly strikes me as the indulgent type…maybe it's just time to realize what's important to him. And whom." The evenness of his tone challenged her to venture further.

She smoothed down the hem of her black skirt as she casually tossed the question, "And if he can't bring himself to let go? What then?"

His rugged features formed a sly grin. "He'd be a damned fool." She broke character and laughed aloud at his answer, aware that cloaked language and metaphors were no longer needed.

He closed the book with the squared-off corners and let it rest in his lap. "I was a damned fool. A fool for holding my tongue instead of telling you just how beautiful you looked in that red dress on that gods-forsaken planet. Or that you do one hell of a job around here." She recognized the look he gave her with his chin elevated, eyes filled with wistful humor.

She hadn't stopped beaming from before. "Bill, the occasional grunt from you or a 'that color looks good on you' is compliment enough for me." She looked down at her right hand that had somehow worked its way onto his solid knee, wondering how it got there. "And besides, your mustache stole the show that night."

By then his warm hand was squeezing her own in appreciation as the Admiral let out a low rumble of laughter. His gaze hardened once again as he said slowly in a half-serious voice "Madame President, this book club does not take lightly to prolonged interruptions."

"Then let's find out what happens." In one swift motion, she had glided over to his chair and slipped the weathered book from his hands. She began reading the passage in a velvety voice, adjusting her glasses with her free hand.

"_All the things he hadn't said to her welled in his throat. Instead of readily choking on them or swallowing them down, they finally burst from the pit of his heart."_

Her own furtive words she'd held back wafted through her head as she paced the maroon rugs of the Admiral's quarters. This man with a love of literature and model ships, of integrity and honor, the man who read old mysteries to her after a tiresome day and never backed down from her wit; this was her closest friend. She'd been with her fair share of men before the fall of Caprica, yet none of them seemed remotely capable of the intense care and respect the Admiral has shown for her. How many men had she felt intimacy with just by standing in the same room together? None. Whether they were deciding the fate of the entire fleet or simply bantering between meetings, he saw her as an equal, a challenge.

"Laura" he breathed as she buried her head deeper into the pages, acting as if she had not heard him.

"_He doesn't know when it happened, but through the years he slowly realized he loved her. Not with the carefree silliness of his younger days, but with a deep affection and wish to hold, trust, kiss, respect, and make love to his oldest friend of all."_

She continued reading, ignoring the sounds of him rising from the chair and purposefully striding across the room to her.

With smooth, precise movements he lowered the novel to reveal her face, gently tucking in a bookmark between the pages and placing it on the desk beside them. He wasn't surprised to find her expression serene, typically sure of herself with a hint of anticipation.

Her bright green eyes steeled in a certainty found in someone who knew absolutely what they wanted. As steady as a Presidential decree, her voice confidently yet tenderly uttered her innermost thoughts. "I love you."

He felt himself place one hand firmly on the side of her slender waist and the other bury itself in her flame-colored hair, tilting his face slightly to come crashing down on her open lips.

This kiss was sudden. She could feel him unleash all his restraint and responded with placing her hands on either side of his face to close the gap between them. As quickly as they broke away for air their lips collided back together again and again, their arms wrapping tightly around the other in passion.

He pulled her away reluctantly and raised his forehead to meet hers. A contented grin lie on both their faces, knowing this was the ultimate goal they both had sought. Through all the arguing, repartee, confiding, the hand guiding her by the small of her back and the arm resting comfortably through his; it all amounted to this. She drew her hand to the side of his face and gently stroked the smiling curve of his cheek. A chuckle shook his shoulders and an eased look crept across the deep lines of his tanned face. Ever so softly, the words escaped his lips- "About time."


End file.
